Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is the most important character from the fictional multiverse of Highlander, Highlander: The Series and Highlander: The Animated Series, portrayed by actor Christopher Lambert. He is an Immortal. The character of Connor MacLeod is divided between many separate continuities; the original movie, the sequels, the television series, and the animated series. While in the movies (except Highlander: Endgame which follows the series continuity) Connor MacLeod is the main hero, and therefore the most likely to be the last of the Immortals; in the other continuities he is just a charismatic secondary character who eventually loses his head. The origin of the character basically remains the same in all continuities (though Highlander II includes an added twist to it), but the timelines differ once MacLeod leaves Scotland after the death of his wife, Heather. =Personal History= Early Life Connor MacLeod was born in 1518 in Glenfinnan, Scotland, near the shores of Loch Shiel. As a prominent member of the clan, he was quickly betrothed and married to a neighboring clanswoman, Katherine. When The Clan MacLeod went to war against The Clan Fraser in 1536, he departed eagerly with his cousin Dougal, and rode at the side of Angus, the clan chieftain. As the battle began, Connor took the field readily, however, he started to feel very strange like he was sensing something at the battle. It was there that he saw lightning in the sky and The Kurgan on top of a hill. demanding an opponent, not one Fraser would face the young Highlander. Without warning, however, The Kurgan, who had demanded Connor's life for his own taking, rode up directly to Connor, dismounted, and easily slapped Connor’s blade aside and dealt a mortal wound to his stomach. As the Kurgan prepared to deliver a beheading stroke, Dougal and Angus rushed in, leaving the young Highlander to pass out on the battlefield. Connor was brought back to a deathbed by his kinsmen, where a weeping Kate watched over him. When Connor did not die, the townspeople (including his wife and cousin) believed his recovery was the work of witchcraft and threatened to burn him at the stake. Dougal, especially adamant for Connor’s death, viciously beat his cousin with fists, head butts and rocks. Angus, however, decided that Connor be banished. Swearing never to forget his chieftain, Connor staggered out of Glenfinnan, vowing never to return. Immortal Beginnings Connor wandered around the land until he met Heather MacDonald, the daughter of a blacksmith. Under her father’s training, Connor learned the art of smithing for himself, and he and Heather soon fell in love and married. When Heather’s father passed on, Connor took over the business, beginning a secluded yet passionate lifestyle with his new bride. In 1541, Connor and Heather received a visitor: Immortal Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, who told Connor about his Immortality and offered his services as a mentor. Under his guidance, Connor learned discipline, physical conditioning, advanced sword fighting, the way of Immortals, and The Game and its assorted Rules. Ramírez also told Connor more about The Kurgan, admitting that the evil Immortal’s interest in Connor was what had led Ramírez to seek The Highlander out himself. Ramirez also brought a grim reality to The Highlander’s attention: his marriage to Heather was dangerous and fruitless, as she would be a target for his enemies, and he would most certainly outlive her and would never be able to provide her children. Despite Ramirez’s warnings, however, Connor elected to stay at Heather’s side. Unfortunately for the Highlander, Ramirez’s warnings came home all too soon. One night, The Kurgan, while Connor was absent, found his home, killed Ramírez, and raped Heather. When Connor returned, he found his tower in ruins from the fight, and his friend and brother dead. He would not learn of Heather’s rape, however, until centuries later. Connor’s past soon returned to haunt him in 1555, when he learned that his mother, Caiolin, had been arrested and accused of bearing the devil’s offspring. Knowing that Glenfinnan was seeking to have Caolin burned in his stead, Connor immediately rode for his old home, to bring his mother to Glencoe. Despite Connor’s best efforts, he found himself imprisoned by the people of Glenfinnan, led by Father Rainey and his fellow priest, Connor's childhood friend Jacob Kell. An agonized Connor was forced to watch as his mother burned. In a blind rage, Connor turned on his former clansmen, cutting down Father Rainey and Jacob Kell in cold blood and burning Glenfinnan almost to the ground. Decades passed, and as Ramirez had warned, Heather grew older and more frail, while Connor retained his original appearance. Eventually, in 1590, Heather died of old age in her husband's arms. Heartbroken, he buried her next to Ramirez’s grave, using his family claymore as a headstone. Taking his former teacher’s katana as his own, Connor left Scotland to explore the world. In 1590, Connor is in Edinburgh where he learns to read and write. In 1599, Connor goes to work as a field hand for a farmer and his daughter Sarah. Sarah shows interest in Connor, but he fears to fall in love again after the pain of seeing Heather die. When the farm is attacked by two brigands, Connor is killed and revives killing the attackers. He then leaves Scotland for England. Connor then meets Immortal Thomas Cavanaugh a friend of Ramirez who becomes a friend of Connor's other Immortals. He also warns not to let an Immortal malicious win the prize. He becomes aware of the Sorcerer Nakano. Wanderings Several years after Heather's passing, Connor traveled to Japan to request training from the Immortal Japanese sorcerer Nakano, an acquaintance of Ramírez. Nakano held his residence in a cave of Mount Niri and had gained a reputation as a master of illusion. The training was never completed. Fellow immortal Kane was also interested in mastering the power of illusion Nakano had denied him two centuries ago. When Kane reached the cave, he soon defeated and decapitated Nakano, despite Connor's attempts to prevent this. However the energies released during the battle caused the cave to collapse. Connor managed to escape, but Kane was left trapped. in 1601 during his travels to North Africa, he meets Sunda Kastagir and becomes his best friend. In 1611, Connor was rescued from the sea off Cape Horn by The Jugleor, captained by Farrell. Travelling with them, he befriended the ship’s first mate, Carmichael, learning much of seamanship. Connor returned to Scotland in 1625 and met Duncan MacLeod, a fellow Immortal from the same clan but nearly 75 years younger. He became Duncan's mentor and took him under his wing, showing the younger Highlander the finest points of Ramirez‘s training. Their relationship, over the hundreds of years they shared, grew and evolved from a father-son relationship to a brother-to-brother friendship. One year after meeting Duncan Macleod, Connor and his Immortal pupil traveled to Aberdeen on business and encountered Nerissa, another Immortal. The next day the two Highlanders spent the day carousing with Connor's old friend Carmichael, now captain of his own vessel. But when they saw Carmichael off the day after, they watched helplessly as his ship was destroyed by fire, a blaze started by Nerissa and her insane Immortal husband Khordas (who believed himself to be a god). Nerissa shot Connor in the chest, ensuring the two villains' escape. In 1632, back in Scotland, Connor and Duncan heard of a village that had been attacked by Khordas. They traveled there and begin tracking him, their pursuit lasting a couple of months, before they finally caught up with both Khordas and Nerissa on Rannoch Moor. Duncan took Nerissa' head, but Khordas managed to escape. In 1670, Connor graduates from the University of Trinity having pursued Latin. In 1680, Connor is in Shanghai with Duncan and meets the Immortal Kiem Sun. In the early 1700's Connor is in the far East and beheads an Immortal there. In 1712, Connor meets up with Duncan in Ireland. While riding and talking about Scotland, they encounter a carriage being held up by some bandits claiming to be collecting money for the king. It is there that Connor and Duncan meet pre-Immortal Catherine Mary’Kate’ Devaney. Connor and Duncan deal with the bandits while Catherine is able to leave. Duncan soon catches her attention. Three years later, Connor while visiting China hears about Duncan getting married to Catherine/Kate. He soon arrives in Ireland and congratulates his friend on his marriage however, he later tells Duncan that his marriage to Kate will bring suffering to him when she dies of old age. But Duncan angrily tells him that he loves her and will hold on to her for as long as they are together. Unable to let fate decide Kate's future, Duncan kills Kate on their wedding night to make her immortal. Connor soon arrived in America in the 1770's and met Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others. Ironically, Connor refused at first to participate in their revolution, telling Jefferson that America was doomed. In 1777, Connor meets Kastagir again. The two were part of General Washington's army in Valley Forge during the American Revolutionary War. An embarrasing incident occured for Connor in 1783, when he attended a wild party in Boston, thrown by his Immortal friend Kastagir. During the party Connor became so inebriated on Kastagir's powerful intoxicants that when the wife of local businessman Mr. Bassett began repeatedly coming onto on him, he unloaded a torrent of verbal abuse on the "bloated warthog." When the woman's husband immediatly showed up to challenge Connor to a duel, and easily ran The Highlander through, MacLeod was still so drunk he forgot he was supposed to be dead. To his disbelief, Bassett stabbed MacLeod again and again, until the drunken Highlander, sick of the whole business, apologized for his words and staggered away. Connor swore off any more of Kastagir's alcohol and parties for the rest of his days. Between 1793 and 1794,Connor lends support to the French Revolution. He meets and woos Lady Sarah Barrington, the English niece of a French noble. When Connor is sentenced to die on the guillotine by the king... she believes him dead and marries another man. Connor's place on the guillotine is taken by his friend, the immortal Pierre Bouchet, who is weary of immortal life. When Connor returns to Sarah, he does not reveal himself to her when he sees that she has children and is happy. In 1800, Connor encounters Kastagir in the West Indies In 1804--While serving aboard the H.M.S. Victory, commanded by Admiral Nelson, Connor MacLeod faces off with The Kurgan serving aboard a French vessel. Their fight is interupted when the mainmast falls on the young Lt. Cavanaugh. Connor hesitates in his fight to save the boy. The Kurgan escapes by falling overboard and walking across the sea bottom. He also takes with him Connor's Masamune katana. In 1853, Connor, currently captaining The HMS Rosemarie, agreed to give passage to America to Duncan and his newest student, a young woman named Amber Lynn. Along the way, The Rosemarie stopped to pick up a shipment of guns and explosives in China. Without warning, the Rosemarie was attacked by Khordas and his new Immortal partner Lauren. Lauren took Amber’s head after a brief duel and then Khordas destroyed The Rosemarie. Only Duncan and Connor survived from the ship's company. Macleod later traveled to the American south to fight in the Civil War against the Confederate States. In 1872, Connor journeyed to visit Duncan in the American West and meet his adopted tribe, only to see his kinsman through another personal tragedy, when U.S. soldiers led by the indian tracker Kern massacred Duncan's tribe, including Duncan's wife and adopted son. Somberly, Connor helped his friend and student cremate the bodies of his tribe, advising him on the risks and rewards of Immortality. In 1897 Connor was once again a seaman, this time the gunrunning Captain David Carruthers commanding The Dido. When Khordas and Lauren reappeared in Duncan's life at his new Nantucket home, he called on Connor and the two finally ended their long running feud with Khordas, taking his head. Lauren, however, escaped.Highlander: The Element of Fire Later that year, Connor was in South Africa, serving in the British Army during The Zulu Wars. Connor was the only survivor of his unit and was captured by the Zulu King Cetewayo. Fortunately, Connor escaped with the help of his old friend Kastagir and showed him the way to the closest British camp. At some point in the year 1902, Connor attended Yale university where he joined the rugby team and won the state championship that year. Later in 1920, he went to England, where he enrolled in at Cambridge University. In 1927 he played baseball for The New York Yankees. a year later he bought farm land in Worstick, PA, but may have lost it after the crash of the 1930's. When World War II broke out in Europe, Connor was there to fight as a partisan in France. During a particularly heated skirmish in a local French village, he encountered an orphaned little girl, whom he defended from a German officer. In the process, the girl, Rachel, discovered the secret of Connor's Immortality. Adopting her as his daughter, Connor decided to return to America and provide her with a proper life. In 1966, Connor gets word from his friend Ian who manages to track down his katana sword and tells him that the sword is to be auctioned in Paris. Connor soon meets Ian in London and the two head for Paris. While in the city, Connor senses the presence of an Immortal and meets Guerin Billuad. Connor and Ian later go to an antiques shop where he meets an attractive mortal woman named Elizabeth. Connor looks at the objects of the store and sees a tartan of Clan Weir, he then invites her for lunch. Upon returning from his date, he returns to his hotel room and finds Ian dead killed by a sword. He soon suspects that Guerin killed him and goes to search for him. He finds him and the two fight. Connor defeats him and is about to take his head when he is interrupted by Elizabeth who appears and tells them they are on the front of the church of Saint Julien le Pauvre. She asks them to follow her inside because the auction will begin. Connor enters the auction and encounters many Immortals in the room where he encounters his best friend Kastagir and another Immortal named Toshiro Nakayata who is also at the auction. Macleod hopes to buy back his katana but he learns from Elizabeth that the Katana will not be auctioned because Antoinio DeRenzo(Elizabeth’s borther) the man who bought the sword from someone in London has a new buyer. After spending a night with Elizabeth, Connor leaves to confront Guerin. He finds him and the two fight in an alley near a cinema Connor has the upper hand against him and Guerin takes refuge inside the cinema with Connor in pursuit. The two fight inside. He asks Connor why he wants to kill him and Connor tells him that it’s because he killed Ian. Guerin is confused and says that he never killed the man but before he can say more, Connor takes his head and his quickening. Afterwards Connor emerges from the cinema wondering who might have killed Ian. Connor leaves Paris with Elizabeth hoping to find answers and goes to Italy to bury her brother. Connor then leaves for Japan where he meets another Immortal named Amika who tells him that the katana he is looking for is with Toshiro and tells him where he lives. Upon arriving at Toshiro’s residence, he confronts the bodyguards and then senses Toshiro and the two men fight. The fight is intense and the result is that Toshiro manages to stab Connor in the shoulder. But Connor manages to cut off Toshiro’s hand. And recover’s Ramirez’s katana. He then returns to Italy to be with Elizabeth. There happiness is short lived when Toshiro appears armed with a prothetic arm with a katana blade on it and challenges Connor. The battle ensues between the two immortals. Toshiro managed to disarm Connor. Elizabeth picks up the katana and plant him in the shoulder. She want to hit but can not. Toshiro turns around and plants his prosthesis in the belly of Elizabeth. Elizabeth dies. Connor continues the battle and beheads Toshiro and recives his quickening. Later Connor goes to Elizabeth’s Grave to say good bye and leaves Florence for New York. The Gathering In 1985, The Gathering began in New York City, where MacLeod found himself living with Rachel in the guise of Russell Nash, an antiques dealer. One night while attending a wrestling match in Madison Square Garden, He senses an Immortal closeby and leaves the match. He goes to the parking garage under Madison Square and walks slowly. Then Iman Fasil comes out. Macleod isn't suprised to see him. Fasil then lunges at his with his sword but Connor dodges him and kicks him away then takes out his katana and starts fighting with Fasil. The fight swings back and forward, Fasil eluding MacLeod amongst the cars, rushing at him out of the shadows. Then the momentum swings to Fasil, as he separates MacLeod from his sword, but he cannot press his advantage and MacLeod vanishes. Out of sight, MacLeod recovers his sword and then steps out to face Fasil. This time, there is nowhere to go and Fasil is the one disarmed. The two look at each other before Connor takes his head and recieves his Quickening. Picking himself up, Connor hides his sword in an overhead grating before driving out of the garage. But he is not quick enough and is arrested by police arriving to investigate the disturbance. The police question Nash, but he denies killing either Fasil or another man, an Immortal maned Vassilek, who was killed by The Kurgan in New Jersey a few nights before. With no evidence to connect him to the killings, the police cannot stop him leaving. Later, MacLeod returns to Madison Square Garden to collect his sword, he discovered forensics expert Brenda Wyatt, who had uncovered traces of MacLeod's blade and was looking for it for her own research. Meanwhile, Connor's nemesis, The Kurgan, had also arrived in New York and had begun taking heads in earnest. MacLeod follows her to a bar and strikes a nerve in her and she leaves. However, she wants to know more about him so she follows him. Then at around One AM, she watches as The Kurgan attacks Connor with his custom longsword while Connor uses a pipe to block the Kurgan's blows. The fight is interrupted by a police helicopter and both men flee. Connor later meets Kastagir in Central Park and the two men party one last time before he goes to fight The Kurgan and loses his head. The result is that now the police now know that MacLeod is no longer their prime suspect and he is let off the hook. Connor goes to church, his yearly remembrance of his promise to Heather, but his reflections are disturbed by The Kurgan, gloating in the death of Kastagir. They are the last and The Kurgan has every intention of taking Connor’s head and The Prize. He mocks Connor, telling him how Ramirez died on his knees and how he raped his woman. Connor’s reaction tells him that his long-held belief that she was Ramirez’ woman was wrong. The Kurgan gloats, believing that he has wounded Connor, but he soon realises that all he has done is light a fire under MacLeod. Now, The Highlander has a reason to want him dead that goes beyond mere survival. Connor returns to the store to find Brenda demanding to see him. When she tells him that she knows the truth about Nash, he tells her the rest of it. And kills himself to prove it. Believing that his lifetime alone may nearly be over, Connor lets down his guard and enjoys one moment of love as he and Brenda share a night of passion. But, the following day, he sees the danger that lies before him, knowing he must face the Kurgan and tells her he cannot get involved. She understands, but tells him he is afraid to live. Unbeknownst to them, The Kurgan is watching and, seeing them together, sees a way to distract The Highlander. As Brenda returns home, The Kurgan is waiting and forces his way into her apartment, kidnapping her. With Connor and The Kurgan now the last remaining Immortals,they meet for the final showdown on the rooftop of Silvercup Studios where he has tied Brenda to the scaffolding. When Connor climbs the scaffolding to rescue Brenda, Kruger attacks. Their swords eventually destroy the scaffolding, and Brenda finds herself hanging precariously from her wrists over the street far below. As Connor and Kruger continue their swordplay, Brenda eventually works herself free and climbs down onto the roof. Meanwhile, Connor and Kruger have fallen through the roof into a warehouse below, where Kruger has knocked Connor to the floor and is about to behead him. Just as Kruger raises his sword high, Brenda sneaks up behind him and hits him with a pole. Kruger turns around and is about to plunge his sword through Brenda when Connor, having retrieved his own sword, blocks the plunge. "What kept you?" Connor says to Brenda and continues the fight. Connor eventually manages to slash Kruger several times in the chest, and the final swing of his sword takes off Kruger's head, resulting in a maelstrom of energy that smashes all the windows in the warehouse as Connor recives The Final Quickening and The Prize. When it is over, Brenda cradles Connor's head in her lap. "I wanna go home," Connor says. In the final scenes, Connor and Brenda have returned to Scotland, and Connor is explaining that The Prize has given him the ability to know what people, including presidents and scientists, all over the world are thinking. He is also now mortal and can have children, grow old and eventually die one day. Ramirez's voice can then be heard telling Connor that he is at one with all living things and that he should use this power wisely and not lose his head. Highlander: The Series Continunity In the timeline of the television series, the first film is referenced, but it allows for more Immortals to exist post-1985. Also, the third film, which otherwise constitutes its own continuity, has been referenced in various points throughout the comic-books, thus allowing it to be part of the continuity established by the TV series. Connor, after the death of Heather in 1590, decided to travel throughout the world. He returned to Scotland in 1625, and met Duncan MacLeod, a fellow Immortal from the same clan, but nearly 75 years younger. He became Duncan's mentor, and took him under his wing. Their relationship, over the hundreds of years they shared, grew and evolved from a father-son relationship to a brother-to-brother friendship. One year after meeting Duncan Macleod, Connor and his Immortal pupil traveled to Aberdeen on business and encountered Nerissa, another Immortal. The next day the two Highlanders spent the day carousing with Connor's old friend Carmichael, now captain of his own vessel. But when they saw Carmichael off the day after, they watched helplessly as his ship was destroyed by fire, a blaze started by Nerissa and her insane Immortal husband Khordas (who believed himself to be a god). Nerissa shot Connor in the chest, ensuring the two villains' escape. In 1632, back in Scotland, Connor and Duncan heard of a village that had been attacked by Khordas. They traveled there and begin tracking him, their pursuit lasting a couple of months, before they finally caught up with both Khordas and Nerissa on Rannoch Moor. Duncan took Nerissa' head, but Khordas managed to escape. In 1680, Connor is in Shanghai with Duncan and meets the Immortal Kiem Sun. In 1712, Connor meets up with Duncan in Ireland. While riding and talking about Scotland, they encounter a carriage being held up by some bandits claiming to be collecting money for the king. It is there that Connor and Duncan meet pre-Immortal Catherine Mary’Kate’ Devaney. Connor and Duncan deal with the bandits while Catherine is able to leave. Duncan soon catches her attention. Three years later, Connor while visiting China hears about Duncan getting married to Catherine/Kate. He soon arrives in Ireland and congratulates his friend on his marriage however, he later tells Duncan that his marriage to Kate will bring suffering to him when she dies of old age. But Duncan angrily tells him that he loves her and will hold on to her for as long as they are together. Unable to let fate decide Kate's future, Duncan kills Kate on their wedding night to make her immortal. Two years after Kurgan's demise, his marriage with Brenda Wyatt was tragically cut short, when during a regular outing, Connor and Brenda were involved in a highway accident. Brenda died on the scene, leaving Connor a widower again. Connor walked away from the crash without a scratch on him.In 1992, Connor was following Immortal Slan Quince, who hunted and killed Immortals and their loved ones for a living. Quince's next target was Connor's clansmen Duncan, who had "retired" from The Game and was living with mortal Tessa Noël. After a first failed confrontation between Duncan and Quince, Connor tried to convince Duncan to return to The Game to help the forces of good defeat the forces of evil and prevent The Prize from falling into the wrong hands. After Duncan beheaded Quince, Connor left Duncan and Tessa to pursue his own path. By 1994, Connor had decided to attempt his own version of fatherhood, having adopted a Moroccan boy, John. They settled in Marrakesh, and Connor was at peace for the first time in centuries. This peace would prove short-lived, though. In Japan, archaeologist Dr. Alexandra Johnson had started excavating Nakano's cave in order to discover whether the sorcerer's legend was based on fact or not. What she found, however, was Kane - alive and well and ready to take his revenge on Connor MacLeod. When Kane took the head of one of his former lieutenants, Connor became aware that his old enemy had returned, and decided to return to New York. Minutes after arriving, however, Connor was attacked by a barrio street gang, shot, and left for dead. When rushed to a hospital, an irate doctor had him confined in the psyche ward after Connor tried to fight his way off the gurney. With a little help from a fellow patient, Connor distracted the guards and slipped away. However, Kane, now in New York, had learned of Connor's imprisonment and had sent his other lieutenant, Khabul Kahn, to bring Connor to him. When Kahn showed up at the hospital, however, he decided to take The Highlander's head for himself, and Connor found himself facing a Challenge while unarmed. With a trick leaned from Nakano, however, Connor easily disarmed and beheaded his latest opponent. Returning to Nash Antiquities, he found himself facing inquiries from both NYPD Lt. John Stenn and Alex Johnson. Stenn was still pursuing "Russell Nash" for his alleged involvement in the beheadings of the 1985 Gathering; Alex wanted information on a scrap of MacLeod tartan found in Nakano's cave. When Connor left to practice at a nearby community center and shrine, Kane arrived there to challenge MacLeod. Despite Connor's warnings about fighting on Holy Ground, Kane attacked, and though Connor easily fought him off, a final blow shattered the blade on his prized katana. When Kane raised his sword to finish off Connor, a blast of wind shattered the windows, and the evil Immortal announced a stay of execution and walked away. Desperate to repair his sword before Kane returned for him, Connor returned to his old home in Glencoe, where he attempted to forge a new blade using his old equipment. The materials he had were not up to the task, however, and he was about to give up when Alex arrived with a gift: a block of quality steel from Nakano's cave. With the new metal, Connor quickly forged a new blade for his katana, and soon after, he and Alex became lovers. However, he learned that Kane had tricked John into coming to see him in New York. Worse, when Connor rushed back to New York to intercept his foster son, he was arrested and taken for questioning by Stenn and his officers. By the time Connor had argue d his way out of police headquarters, Kane had kidnapped John and was holding him as a shield. Despite this handicap, Connor accepted Kane's challenge when it came, fought his way though Kane's illusions, and beheaded his enemy in a Jersey oil refinery. With Alex and John back at his side, Connor resumed his new life as a family man. Unfortunately, Jacob Kell had survived Connor’s one-man rampage in Glenfinnan, having been made Immortal himself from it. Discovering Connor’s connections to Rachel Ellenstein, Kell lured her to Connor’s apartment above Nash Antiquities, then lured Connor there as well. As The Highlander watched in horror, Rachel and Nash Antiquities disappeared in a massive explosion. In a deep despair, Connor abandoned his ties to the world, entering into a self-imposed exile at The Sanctuary, where he would remain for years. Kell eventually tracked down the location of The Santuary and attacked it, slaughtering all the Immortals there except for Connor. He informed Connor of his intentions - before he took Connor’s head, he meant to destroy everything The Highlander had ever cared about - starting with Connor’s protégé and kinsman Duncan. When Connor later learned of Kell’s collected kills - a record 661 Immortals compared to Duncan’s 171 and his own 262 - he realized there was only one option left if Kell was to be stopped. Seeking out Duncan, Connor stunned his student and brother - by issuing a challenge. When Duncan refused to fight, Connor entrapped him in a rare sword gambit that could not be broken without one opponent taking the other one’s head. With the words "Goodbye Duncan, my true brother," Connor forced the gambit to completion, and Duncan, forced to accept Connor’s wishes, executed the fatal counter. As he had intended, Connor’s Quickening gave Duncan the strength to face and behead Kell, giving him his last vengeance. Afterward, Duncan buried Connor in The Highlands in Glencoe, next to Ramirez and Heather's remains, where he was hoped to find his peace. The Movie Continuity Highlander II: The Quickening The second Highlander film, because of it being the first follow-up to the original film, is regarded as the original sequel to the first film, and thus part of a continuity solely consisting of the first two films. Due to the fact that there are two major versions of this movie, the original movie and the 1994 and 2004 Director's Cuts, there are two versions of the story. Original Version - In 1995, The Ozone Layer begun to rapidly disappear and the ozone hole covered most of planet Earth. Connor, now a Mortal, became the supervisor of a team attempting to create an artificial shield, which would cover the planet and protect it from the Sun's radiation. In 1999, the team succeeded in its goal, and Earth gained its artificial shield filtering sunlight in place of the ozone layer. MacLeod was proud in having apparently saved humanity. However, the shield had the side-effect of condemning the planet to a state of constant night, and humanity could no longer see the sun, the moon, or the stars. Humanity began to lose hope and fell into a decline. The Shield fell under the control of Shield Corporation, taxing for its services for profit. Meanwhile, Connor, as years passed, had physically aged into a frail old man, and expected to eventually die of natural causes. He had also been able to learn the source of his Immortality. Connor was a reincarnation of an alien humanoid from planet Zeist. In fact, all Immortals had been reincarnations from exiled criminals from Zeist (though the "reincarnation" aspect never made it into the actual film). He was chosen by the reincarnation of Ramirez to be the leader of a rebellion against the rule of the evil General Katana. The reincarnation of Ramírez, who seemed to possess magical powers, made a magical bond with Connor that could never be broken. Whenever Connor needed his help, Ramirez would come. However, the rebellion failed and Ramírez and Connor were sent to Earth to play The Game as Immortals, which would eventually be won by Connor. In 2024, a number of terrorists, led by Louise Marcus, tried to take down The Shield. Louise discovered that The Ozone Layer had been reformed, and The Shield was no longer needed. The Corporation, which was aware of this, hid it from the general public to maintain its profit. Meanwhile on Zeist, General Katana was still alive. His information seemed to indicate that Connor wanted to return to Zeist. He decided that couldn't happen and sent his Immortal henchmen Corda and Reno to Earth to decapitate him. Louise managed to reach Connor first, and asked for his help in taking down The Shield. To Louise's disappointment, she found the passionate person she once admired to have grown into "a tired old man." MacLeod explained that he was dying, and expressed his disapproval of terrorism. Before Connor and Louise could finish their conversation, Corda and Reno reached Earth. That led to Connor becoming Immortal again. Corda and Reno located MacLeod and attacked. MacLeod, however, decapitated them both, and in the process, through The Quickening, regained his youth. While he absorbed their energy, Connor summoned Ramírez, who revived in Glencoe, Scotland, the location of his death. Meanwhile, Connor found a new lover in Louise. Elsewhere, Katana also arrived on Earth and had a brief indecisive meeting with Connor. Soon enough, Connor was also reached by Ramírez. The latter joined MacLeod and Louise in their plan to take down The Shield. Katana predicted this and forged an uneasy alliance with The Shield Corporation. The conflict between the two sets of allies eventually lead to the deaths of Ramírez (sacrificing himself to save Connor and Louise) and Katana (killed by Connor in their final confrontation). MacLeod succeeded in taking down The Shield by using the combined energies of his final Quickening from Katana. Connor, mortal again, began a new life with Louise. Note: In the TV cut Connor claimed The Prize by returning to Zeist with Louise accompanying him. Highlander II: Renegade Version''' / '''Highlander II: Special Edition - In these versions of the movie, The Immortals were not aliens from Zeist. Instead they came from a distant past on Earth. Some events are also changed, the most meaningful being the rescue attempt from Connor, Louise and Ramírez to free Connor's old friend and co-supervisor of the construction of The Shield, Dr. Allan Neyman from a high security prison. Neyman had betrayed The Shield Corporation by telling Connor the truth about The Ozone Layer status. Neyman eventually dies in Connor's arms. Ramírez also gives his life for Connor and Louise in the prison. Both Neyman's and Ramírez's deaths had occurred in The Shield Corporation, instead of the high security prison. The Animated Series Connor MacLeod also makes an appearance in Highlander: The Animated Series, which again presented a continuity different from that of the original movie or television series. The animated version of Connor appeared only in one episode. When fighting against evil Immortal Kortan, Connor was defeated. He, then, prophesied the coming of the series hero Quentin MacLeod, who would defeat Kortan. He was promptly beheaded by Kortan. =Personality And Relationships= Macleod was a serious palyer of the game respecting it's rules and considered one of the best warriors ever being one stpe ahead of his opponent. Unlike Duncan, Conner keeps his thoughts and feelings to himselfalthough he will occasionally let a smile or his trademark stacccato laugh. Duncan MacLeod Connor was regarded by his pupil and lifelong friend Duncan MacLeod as one of the greatest Immortals out there, and held the highest respect for him. Connor taught Duncan how to live, why they live, and it was only reasonable Duncan felt he owed him a lot. Though they didn't see each other a lot in the last years, they were very close and their friendship was as strong as it had always been for the nearly 350 years they knew each other. Their relationship was like a father and son, or brother to brother. Heather MacLeod Heather was Connor's first and most beloved wife, who was present at the death of Ramírez, and was raped by The Kurgan, which she never revealed to Connor. There were recurring instances of Heather's depression at Connor's Immortality during her life, as revealed in Highlander: Endgame. Connor remained with Heather until her natural death, and was so disillusioned that he abandoned his beloved Scotland, and began wandering the world. However, Connor never forgot Heather, and continued to honor her memory until his own death, at which point he was laid alongside her by his successor, Duncan MacLeod. Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez http://members.fortunecity.com/nashantiques/market.jpg "Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez," original name Tak Ne, was one of the most legendary and greatest of The Immortals. By 1541, at the age of 2,437 years old, he was living in Spain, working as the Chief Metallurgist to King Charles V under the name of "Ramírez." He sought out Connor MacLeod, and took him under his wing, teaching him The Rules of The Immortals. Most importantly, he warned him of The Kurgan, who gave him his first death, and prepared him for it — believing that Connor would be the one to end his reign of terror. Connor and Ramirez enjoyed a good friendship, rising from father-son to equals. Although their training lasted for a very short time, Ramirez left an indelible impression on the young Highlander — a taste of the theatrical, the wonder of the world beyond Scotland, and most of all, the connection between "all living things." Ramirez asked Connor to leave Heather, to save him from the pain of her inevitable loss, from old age. Connor refused to do so. In 1542, while Connor was away hunting, The Kurgan returned. Ramirez, although leaving a permanent scar in Kurgan's neck, lost the fight, and died at the hands of The Kurgan. Connor buried Ramírez next to his home in Glencoe and, after Heather died, he used his own broadsword as Heather's grave marker, and he began using his mentor's katana, a tribute to his old mentor. The katana was destroyed in 1994, by Immortal Kane, in a ferocious fight in a Buddhist Shrine in New York. MacLeod retreated, and recreated the sword on his own, leaving the handle the same, as a continuing tribute to his mentor. Sunda Kastagir Kastagir was an ancient African Immortal who befriended MacLeod in the 1700's. They both fought together during the American War of Independence. The last time the meet each other before The Gathering is in 1897 in South Africa where Connor was a British soldier who was caught by The Zulu's. Kastagir helped his friend escape. He was one of MacLeod's best friends. Jacob Kell Jacob Kell was a clansman of Connor's and his childhood friend. He was also a Latent Immortal. He had been adopted by a priest and grew up to be a religious man following his father's footsteps. When Connor came back to life after his death in the battle against The Clan Fraser, Kell believed Connor had been possessed by The Devil and wished to burn him. However, Connor was just expelled from the clan. Years later, he was part of a group that planned an ambush on Connor luring him to Glenfinnan to save his mother who had been sentenced to be burned alive for giving birth to The Devil. Ignoring Connor's pleas he incarcerated him and burned his mother. Enraged, Connor escaped and killed Kell and his father. Kell would later come back to life and start a personal vendetta against Connor, killing Rachel Ellenstein along the way. Being, according to The Watchers record, the most powerful Immortal alive, his next target was Duncan MacLeod. Yet Connor anticipated him and offered his head to Duncan, who after some reluctance beheaded Connor. Connor's subconscience within Duncan would be instrumental in killing Kell. Miscellanious Information *The role of Connor MacLeod was originally offered to Mickey Rourke. But he turned down the role. Marc Singer was offered the role of Connor, But he turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Singers later guest starred in the series as Caleb Cole in the season one episode Mountain Men. *Connor is said to have been born in 1518 and became Immortal in 1536. This means that Connor is about 18 years old when he became Immortal. However he looks a bit older for a teenager.(Lambert was 27 when he was cast in the role). *Christopher Lambert reprised his role as Connor MacLeod in the pilot episode The Gathering. Since then he has not appeared in any other episodes of the series. This is because in reality, the actor doesn't do television. His appearence in the pilot marked his first and only appearence in an American TV series. *In the first draft of the original movie, Connor MacLeod was a very different character that the one well known to most fans. In the Draft, he was a darker, stoic cynical man born in Scotland in the year 1403 instead of 1518. He lived with his mother and father. When he became Immortal, he was amade an outcast by his clansman which led to Connor leaving his home rather that being banished. Also Connor had been married nine times unlike in the revised version where he was married twice the first time to a woman named Kate who rejected him after he became Immortal and Heather whom he loved with all his heart and whom he considered as his one and only one love. After her death Connor was heart broken and never married again. Also, Connor's sword in the first draft is a 5th century Frankish broadsword unlike his trademark Ivory handled Dragonshead Katana (the dragon on Connor's sword has a shorter nose then Duncan's) . *Connor MacLeod was originally going to be the main character in Highlander:The Series. However when Adrian Paul was cast, He asked the producers to create a new character so as not to have any comparison to Lambert andto be able to develop his own characterization. As a result, Duncan MacLeod was created. *Although Conner was killed in Highlander Endgame, he is still alive interms of the original movie and the final immortal. The series and Endgame are set in an alternate reality where Connor is a secondary character. *British actors Gary Daniels and Alistair Duncan were among 400 actors who auditioned for the role of Connor MacLeod in the TV series.(Back when Connor was intended to be the main character). Quotes *"I'm Connor MacLeod of The Clan MacLeod." *"You look like a woman, you stupid haggis!" *"If it came down to us two, would you take my head?" *"Whatever you say, Jack. You're the master race." *"It seems like 100 years." *"I'm Immortal". *"Love is for poets." *"It's a kind of Magic!" *"I cannot die." *"Don't worry. We'll be okay." *"I'm Connor MacLeod. Same Clan. Different vintage." *"Do you think we ever lived like this, like a tribe, together with a common language, a reason and a name for each living thing ? Did we once belong somewhere, a time, a place, however briefly ?" *"You're not counting that scratch!" *"As long as I can remember knowing you you've had all the fun and most of the good women." *"Come on. That was nearly one hundred and sixty years ago." *"There's a fresh breeze blowing off the loch. The glen is snowy and cold. It's the most glorious sight on Earth. I've found no place to match it in four hundred years." *"In the days before memory, there were The Immortals. We were with you then, and we are with you now. We are driven by the endless fight to survive in a Game which knows no limits of time or place. We are the seeds of legend, but our true origin are unknown. We simply are." *"Once, a very long time ago, I was a Highlander. Born of this land and like this land: Immortal." *"Life brings hope and pain, but revenge never brings redemption." *"Nice to see you Kurgan. Who cuts your hair?" Connor MacLeod in The Game All movie continuities show Connor as the victor of The Game. In Highlander he is the last Immortal and recipient of The Prize. However, the following movies would attempt to establish, with varying amounts of difficulty, that The Game wasn't over. Connor obviously defeated great Immortals during his life, but the movies didn't have time to show it like the series did for Duncan MacLeod, so only four beheadings are known to take place in the movie timelines : 1. Guerin Billuad, 1966( Way of the Sword) 2. Toshiro Nakayata,1966(Way of the Sword) 3'' - Iman Fasil, 1985 (Highlander) ''4 - The Kurgan, 1985 (Highlander) In the TV series continuity, only the beheadings of the first movie are part of this universe. In Highlander: Endgame it was established that Connor had more beheadings than Duncan MacLeod (262 as opposed to 174, in the beginning of the movie). Connor, however, sacrificed himself, giving his head to Duncan, so that Duncan could defeat Kell. Neither The Gathering or Endgame show Connor receive A Quickening. Watchers In TV series continuity, there was a secret organization known as The Watchers. In The Watcher Chronicles CD-ROM, a few Watchers were attributed to Connor. It's briefly mentioned in Highlander: Endgame that somewhere in his life, Connor met Methos and The Watchers and he later joined their Sanctuary. It is questionable whether he joined it on his free will (knowing the place he would enter), or whether he entered The Sanctuary forcefully. Here's a list of all of Connor's known Watchers: Remake A remake of the original movie was announced in 2008 with Connor MacLeod in the lead. It was rumored that actor Kevin McKidd was in talks to play Connor. Not much is not known about the remake except that Connor will be depicted as a History professor in the present day. Appearances Movies - Highlander, Highlander II: The Quickening, Highlander: The Final Dimension, Highlander: Endgame TV Episodes - The Gathering Animated Series - Highlander: The Animated Series Books - The Element of Fire External links *The Nitpicker's Guide to Highlander *Highlander Page for Beginners *The shows & movies summed up *Highlander Watcher Chronicles - Fan page of the series *Connor MacLeod Homepage - A timeline of Connor MacLeod's life MacLeod, Connor MacLeod, Conner MacLeod, Conner Category:Jettators